Iran prepares to resume conflict with US — newspaper

NEW YORK, August 17. /TASS/. Iran believes that US and Israeli efforts to secure a ceasefire are aimed solely at easing pressure on the markets and preparing for a new phase of hostilities, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed officials and intelligence reports.

According to the newspaper, Tehran believes that the current negotiations may be nothing more than an "interlude before more conflict," and that the memorandum signed "was likely just an attempt by the US and Israel to take pressure off the global economy and buy time for a bigger attack down the road."

The Wall Street Journal noted that Tehran’s readiness to fight back "highlights a deep lack of trust that is likely to keep the two sides from reaching a durable deal to end the conflict any time soon."

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran, with Islamabad acting as mediator, signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, in the early morning hours of July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing it of violating the terms of the agreements reached on the Strait of Hormuz. On August 2, Trump announced that the US and Iran would begin negotiations on a peace deal. In addition, the US leader wrote on his Truth Social page that he had agreed to call off a planned massive strike against Iran in order to reach a deal with Tehran. According to him, Tehran and Arab countries asked Washington to refrain from an attack, as the sides had agreed on the outlines of a future agreement.